title: Gonococcal lipopolysaccharide: a toxin for human fallopian tube mucosa.
abstract: Gonococci damaged the mucosa of human fallopian tubes in organ culture (FTOC), producing characteristic pathologic features. Filter-sterilized supernatant fluid from donor gonococcal-infected FTOC damaged recipient FTOC in a similar fashion. Gonococcal lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was detected in these toxic donor fluids in concentrations of 1.2 to 8.3 microgram/ml. Purified gonococcal LPS in concentrations as low as 0.015 microgram/ml produced damage equivalent to that caused by toxic donor fluid and was neutralized by polymyxin B. Such LPS-mediated damage to ciliated cells, if it occurs in gonococcal salpingitis, may impair mucociliary flow and predispose to ectopic pregnancy and recurrent ascending infection.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000633:toxicity*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005187:Fallopian Tubes / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008033:Limulus Test; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000633:toxicity*; D051379:Mice; D008954:Models, Biological; D009092:Mucous Membrane / Q000187:drug effects; D009344:Neisseria gonorrhoeae; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D011112:Polymyxin B / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D011112:Polymyxin B